City of Seattle Celebrates Record Enrollment in the Award Winning Seattle Preschool Program for 2024 2025 School Year

Seats still available for Seattle three-and four-year-olds to support kindergarten readiness

Seattle - Today, Mayor Bruce Harrell and the Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) celebrated the first week of the 2024-25 school year! This school year, over 1,850 children are enrolled in the Seattle Preschool Program (SPP).

As part of Seattle's commitment to bring high-quality preschool to the city's future leaders, Mayor Harrell added 17 new SPP classrooms this school year, with 318 seats added to serve nearly 2,500 children citywide. In the 2024-2025 school year, SPP is partnering with 27 organizations, with 99 preschool sites and 154 classrooms. SPP is funded by the 2018 Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise (FEPP) Levy which aims to achieve educational equity, close opportunity gaps, and build a better economic future for Seattle students.

"This is an exciting milestone for the Seattle Preschool Program, which provides accessible, affordable, and inclusive early learning opportunities so that our youngest learners have the skills they need to succeed in their academic journey and in life," said Mayor Harrell. "I encourage all Seattle families with young children to take advantage of this incredible program and put your child on a pathway to a bright, prosperous future."

The Seattle Preschool Program helps prepare Seattle three and four-year-olds for kindergarten in partnership with community-based organizations, Family Child Care providers, and Seattle Public Schools. SPP offers dual-language classrooms, extended day care options, and educators specialized in serving children with behavioral or developmental needs.

Current data for the 2024-2025 school year shows:

• 1,896 preschoolers currently enrolled in SPP
• 76% of SPP seats are enrolled
• 590 SPP seats open for the 2024-25 school year
• 62% of children enrolled in SPP are receiving free tuition

The city is investing up to $3.5 million for SPP classroom expansion in the 2024-2025 school year. With funding from the voter-approved FEPP levy, SPP is on track to serve 2,500 children by 2026. Of the 17 new SPP classrooms opened this school year, eleven are in brand new SPP locations, five classrooms are at existing SPP locations, and three classrooms are graduating from an SPP Pathway classroom to full SPP implementation models. Three of the new expansion classrooms operated by Seattle Public Schools are providing SPP Plus programming, an inclusive model that joins children with an Individualized Education Program and typically developing children.

School year 2024-2025 SPP Sites; New sites in green, expanding sites in light blue

To prepare for the start of the school year, SPP educators convened on August 19 at City Hall to kick-off DEEL's Pre-Service Institute returning to in-person for the first time since 2019. Over 300 early childhood educators participated in workshops centered on the theme of "Nurturing Relationships in the Early Childhood Ecosystem."

Since its inception in 2015, SPP has served more than 6,750 three-and-four-year-olds. In 2023, the Seattle Preschool Program obtained a gold medal from National Institute for Early Education Research reflecting strengths of the program including health screenings and referrals, access for a large percentage of children in the City, content-rich curriculum, and high-standards for teacher qualifications. In SY 2023-24, 75% students served by SPP identified as BIPOC. A research team from Education Northwest and American Institutes for Research are engaged in a multi-year evaluation of the Seattle Preschool Program's long-term impacts. Preliminary analysis of the SY 2017-18 cohort, found that children who participated in SPP were significantly more likely to meet kindergarten readiness standards (based on WaKIDS assessment) than a comparison group of children attending state-funded preschool. Children attending preschool in the 2017-18 school year also met standards in 3^rd grade reading and math at higher rates relative to the control group. The full evaluation report can be found on DEEL's website.

How to enroll in SPP

SPP provides free tuition to most Seattle families who apply, with rates calculated based on household income and family size to prepare all children for success in kindergarten. Parents can learn more about SPP sites and how to begin the application process at seattle.gov/applySPP.

In-language Applications are available, families who need language assistance to complete the application process can contact DEEL at 206-386-1050 or email [email protected].

SPP educators attend the 2024 Department of Education and Early Learning Pre-Service Institute at City Hall.

What People are Saying:

"The Seattle Preschool Program gives all of Seattle's children an opportunity to learn and grow. Preschool is critical for social emotional learning and developing the skills to become self-reliant and confident. The investments of the Families, Education, Promise and Preschool (FEPP) Levy also supports teachers in delivering high-quality instruction; expansion of new SPP classrooms; and - importantly - tuition assistance to give working parents peace of mind."

-Maritza Rivera, Councilmember and Chair of the Libraries, Education and Neighborhoods Committee

"Investing in our city's future leaders starts with high-quality preschool programs and welcoming early learning environments. The Seattle Preschool Program provides an equitable access for all of Seattle's children regardless of background, zip code, or household income."

- Dr. Dwane Chappelle, Director, Department of Education and Early Learning

"Our early learning educators are passionate about the work they do and dedicated to all the families they serve. I know they are eager to meet every student, provide a safe learning environment, and give working parents peace of mind."

-Leilani Dela Cruz, Early Learning Director, Department of Education and Early Learning

"We have built and fostered a community at First Place Doreen Cato Preschool. I tell parents this is a place away from home for their children to learn and grow socially and emotionally. Our SPP teachers create a safe and welcoming environment for our littlest learners. Some students need stability especially those who are experiencing housing instability or trauma, at First Place we ensure all children receive love, encouragement, and the tools to succeed and graduate to kindergarten."

-Carolyn Brown, Early Learning Director, First Place Doreen Cato Preschool

First Place SPP teacher Ms. Stacy leads classroom in a learning activity.

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